Outlet box support



June 5, 1951 ELSTAD l 2,555,923

OUTLET Box- SUPPORT Filed sept. 26, 1949 2 sheets-sheet 1 Z7 l 1 Z5fn/wia? June 5, 1951 L, 1 ELSTAD 2,555,923

' ou'rLE'i"Box..;sUPPoRT Filed sept. 2e. 1949 2 sheets-sheet 2 y fda v50 bj@ wm" jvemaz' Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE 4Claims.

This invention relates to a support for electrical outlet boxes Iand thelike.

While it is contemplated that the device will be used in other than.ceiling installations, itzis 4described herein vas used in conjunctionwith ra box either permanently'or until it can be screwed or otherwiseattached in place.

A further object of the invention is to provide means f or tightly andsecurely mounting an outlet box support between two panels the said"means including mechanism whereby the device V'can be readily adjustedor slightly re-arr-angedto .accommodate itself to building constructionsIwherein the space between the two panels varies considerably.

Still another object of the invention is to pro- 'vide ya device v`ofthe general character described above which can be readily adapted foruse in supporting a conventional outlet box or ashallower pan which maybe used.

The above Vand other objects and' advantages of the invention will morefull-y Vappearrom the following .description made in `connection withthe accompanying drawings, wherein .like .refetence characters refertothe same parts -`throughout theviews, and, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional'view through Apart of a ceilingand'superimposed Vfloor.illustrating the adaptation of an embodiment`ofm-yninverrtion' thereto.

Fig'. rZisa similar view showing. the fdevicefar- `ranged for'supporting ya ceilingfpan.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View showing the device lengthened vertically sothat'it 'will function in astructure .where thespace between the ceilingand the iloor thereabove is considerably greater than in Figs..l.and 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken approximately `onthe line 4 1 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 isa perspective view of the member for bridging the ceilingopening,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary Vsectional view taken approximately on`the line V6--6 of Fig. 3,

Fig. is a fragmentaryfsectional view through part of a ceilingillustrating the adaptation .of another embodiment of my .inventionthereto,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view ofithe .member for bridging vtheceilingopening used in the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig.'7,...and

Fig.;9 is a. vertical sectional' view ofV the bridging memberrshown. inFig. 8, taken transversely through the middle aperture` therein.

1n Fig. l there.y is shownsa portion of aceili'n'g vpanelindicatedgenerally at 6 andmadetiip of axpluralityI of :conventionallaths 'l anda plaster coating `8. `spaced above the'ceilingtpanel is :Lafloor `ASi which, of course, `isgtl'ie floor of. theiruom "above :theceiling f6. The ceiling panel. has an Yopening Il) formedctherethroughExtending across` .the opening 'I0 .is a. bridging member fIiIhavingflatends IZwhich preferably .should span approximately two "of thelaths` L `upon that .portieri of .the bridging member II which. denesthe 4aperture I4. This spud Iis lshown indetail in Fig. 4. It has aninternally `threaded lbore I8, and .a threaded rod` or compressionmember I9 is mounted therein. VThis .rod .preferably has a pointed upperend` [9a. .A

conventional electrical outlet box :2.0. with` .an upper centralaperture vis slipped on .the lower fend of the Spud I6, as showninFig.1, and a .retaining nut 2.I .isf-screwed on the Spud to secure theoutlet boxbetween `said spud and theunderside of the raised centralportionIS of the bridge I|,. `It will be seen that thelower endiof l.thethreaded .rod I:9.loas. akerf i911 .formed therein.

The .parts can be placed in approximate .posiy tion .as indicatedin Fig.l Yprior to .placingof the outlet boxl thereon. When thebridging ,meubber and rod .I9` are originally inserted, therod .I9 .is not extendedupwardly as far as shown in Fig. 1,.but.is turned up into .engagementwith the underside-.of the iioor 9 .afterthe parts have been positionedso. that vthe 'bridgingmember II will be =pressed rmly down on the topsof laths which lie on either side-of .the ceiling panel opening IU.

Figs. Zand Li.` show a modiiication of vthe. struc- `ture shown in Fig.l. An adapter 2.2 is `provided. with an internally threaded portion 23and an .externally threaded `portion 24, the two sets o'f threads beingof the same pitch and diameter. .The adapter .2,2 .also hasa bore A24awhich` extends through the externally threaded end portion 2.4,

`is accordingly Vconsiderably longer.

threaded portion of the rod'33 has vbreak-'jointv same 'as the nut 2| inFig. l, is used to hold the pan 25 in positionk between said nut and theshoulder located at the upper portion of the threads 24 on the adapter.Since the ceiling pan 25 is usually shallower than an outlet box such-Yas the box 20 of Fig. 1, the adapter 22 is used to lower the point ofmounting of said pan 25.

In Figs. 3 and 6 the adapterrZZ is shown`v threaded on the spud I3 withthe shoulder of the adapter resting upon the upper side of the bridgingmember I I. An outlet box 28 is slipped on the lower end of theV adapter22 and retained by a nut 29,V similar to nuts 2T and 2l in Figs. 4 andl, respectively. By placing the adapter 22 above 'the central bridgeportion I3, the same rod I9 cari beextended upwardly further where theceiling and the overlying Yfloor are spaced further apart.'

An'outlet box or ceiling pan mounting such as described is of particularadvantage when wiring homes thathave already been constructed.

The provision of a bridging memberand an `extensible strut orcompression member such as the'rod I9 results'in an extremely firmanchoring support for the `outlet box. It does not require anchoringscrews in the ceiling laths, a practice which is not advisablebecausethe laths often split or they may be rotted. The fiat ends orlegs I2 ofthe bridging member II should be made long enough to contactat least two of the 4ceiling laths, as shown in the drawing so that yastrong support-will be provided. Y i

Figs. 7,78 and 9 show an additional embodiment Vof my'invention which issimple, yet novel and very eifective. It comprises a bridging member 33somewhat similar to the member I I in that it has va raised centralportion 33a which `is pro-v vided with a central aperture'3I andreinforcement lflanges 33h. It differs, however,Y in that the apertureV3| isthreaded, having a bore of equal pitch and diameter as the threadof the threaded portion 32 of the rod 33 which is mountedV therein. Theraised central portion 30a also has additional apertures Y35 disposedbetween its ends and the central aperture 3| adapted for fastening thevarious sized conven- `tional outlet boxes which are equipped withcorresponding apertures for fastening said outlet box securely., The rod33 has a longer unthreaded portion than the rod I9 and its overalllength The unnotches 34 out therein at spaced intervals. When inapproximateY position the rod 33 is screwed by. Vmeans of a screw driverinserted in the kerf 33h upwardly until the top end of the rod 33aengages the underside of the door 3 above the ceiling and presses thebridge member 30 firmly down on the tops of the laths which lie on'either side ofthe ceiling panel opening I0. Then the outlet box 20 isslid over the lower end of the rod 33 and the retaining nut 36 isscrewed onto the rod 33 below the outlet box 2IJ so as to `hold itfirmly and securely in place. Additional support and rigidity can beprovided for the outlet box by inserting ordinary bolts through theadditional apertures 35 and the corresponding apertures in theV outletbox and fastening them tightly with nuts.

' The big advantage of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. '7,8, and 9 is its ready adjustability to spaces of different distances.The rod 33 is made of sucient length so as to extend from the ceiling tothe floor above it even in cases when these two members are separated byan unusually large distance. If the rod 33 proves toloe too'long for thespace between the floor and ceiling below it, the user can easily breakthe rod 33v at one of the points where the break-point notches arelocated so as to make the rod 33 of vthe'desired length. This structureobviates the need of the spud I6 and the adapter 22 shown in Fig. 2 andutilized in the other embodiment of my invention when the rod I9 was notlong enough for rthe purposes at hand, and has the advantage of beingconsiderably simpler and cheaper to manufacture while still eicientlyaccomplishing its purpose.

It will, of course, be understood that'various 'changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various partswithout departing from the scope of my invention.

. What I claim is:

1. In an outlet box support, a bridging member having lan openingtherethrough, a spud extending-.through said opening and having aportion vsupporti-:d on said bridging member, the lower portion of saidSpud being externally threaded and providing means for supporting anoutlet box `and athreaded rod threaded into said spud and Aextendingupwardly thereabove and above said bridging member. 2f The structure inclaim 1 and an extension adapter for said spud having one end internallythreaded and the other end externally threaded, the diameters of saidthreaded ends being the same. 3. An outlet box support comprisingarbridging member adapted to span a building panel opening,v a threadedcompression rod member extending through said bridging member andupwardly above to'vengage the surface of a rpanel' spaced from saidiirst mentioned panel, said threaded rod being shiftable longitudinallyto extend the same relative to said bridging member and said 'rodincluding means for varying its length to eas- Vily adapt its length tosaid space, and at least one ofrsaid members being arranged to supportan -outlet box thereon;

4. An outlet box support adapted to be used be- Ytween a pair 'of spacedpanels, one of which has -an outlet box opening therein within which anoutlet box is adapted to be placed, said supportV REEERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,453,017 Lindelof Apr. 24, 19231,856,356 Owen May 3, 1932 Carlson June 14, 1949

